Today we’d like to introduce you to Leeatt Rothschild

Hi Leeatt, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

I like to say my journey has always been a dance between social impact and business.

It started when I served as a Rotary Youth Ambassador in Mexico and continued as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. While there, I launched an income-generating fertilizer business with local farmers, witnessing the profound way economic development impacted the local community. I returned home eager to do good in the world, and committed to doing so at scale.

After earning an MBA I dove into the world of marketing. My “aha!” moment happened while serving as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultant, advising Fortune 500 Chief Sustainability Officers and executives on maximizing the impact and financial returns of their CSR efforts. As the story goes, it was a cold December day in Chicago and our office was filled with the “typical” holiday gifts of popcorn tins, baskets of treats, etc. There was such an obvious disconnect between the gifts companies were sending and the impact they were trying to create.

That’s when I realized there was a gap in the market and that I could help companies (and individuals) gift better. By curating gift offerings with products sourced from purpose-driven companies I could make it easy and engaging to do good. By sharing the stories of impact behind each gift, I would create a more meaningful experience for senders and recipients alike. Because companies were placing a greater emphasis on CSR, ESG and Sustainability I knew this offering would take off.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride. But has any business grown without any bumps? It’s been fun and challenging and most importantly, it’s taught me to appreciate the days when business is running smoothly because there are so many opportunities for obstacles to arise.

One of the biggest blunders we experienced was when we first launched. We had just closed our Indiegogo campaign and were in the process of sending out hundreds of gifts. My twin boys were just born and I was visiting them in the NICU when I got a call from our warehouse team. Something was wrong with the granola that was shipped to us and destined for those initial gift boxes. Apparently, our Impact Partner (aka product supplier) had rushed to make all the bags needed and sealed the bags while the granola was still hot, resulting in granola that hardened like a rock once it cooled. It was not what we were hoping for as we rushed to get all orders out in time for Christmas.

We worked with our Impact Partner to get new bags crafted and sent our way and our fulfillment team did an incredible job packing up the gifts in record time to minimize any delays. Let’s just say that was a pretty stressful few days, on top of the usual post-partum chaos of delivering twins!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Packed with Purpose?

Packed with Purpose’s memorable gifts make it easy to do good. We discover, vet and source products from purpose-driven suppliers (affectionately called Impact Partners) and include their products in our curated gift boxes. Examples include: handcrafted granola by women survivors of abuse, who are on a path toward financial independence, or chocolate confections packaged by Veterans, reintegrating into society post-service.

As a dual-mission business, we both 1) support the growth of purpose-driven organizations and 2) enable companies to do good through the everyday act of gift giving. We take the vetting process and amplification of our Impact Partners’ impact seriously, and this is part of what makes us stand apart from other gifting vendors. We make sending corporate gifts seamless and rewarding, where every gift benefits people and communities across the United States.

It’s an honor to help people strengthen relationships through our gifts- be it to celebrate a company milestone, send well wishes to a friend, or thank a client. What could be more fulfilling than working at the intersection of gifts and giving back?!

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?

Luck is always a factor. I’m fortunate to have grown up in a family where entrepreneurship was celebrated, to have had the opportunity to pursue an idea and bring my business to life, to have friends who have cheered me on and supported me when I needed it most. Most importantly, I’m lucky to have had health on my side, knowing that without health I likely wouldn’t even be in a position to dream out loud and try to bring my business to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.packedwithpurpose.gifts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packedwpurpose/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/packedwpurpose.gifts